[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] raytracer:
This version of Meteoray has been totally rewritten from the start, this done so that finally a weather tab worthy of its name is available also for Manila2D, with automatic offline hourly updates.

No comparison in our opinion, to the ineffective and statics forecasts that this interface has as standard. No necessary patch for Manila, no altered dll , no external server dedicated.

Very easy to use; It is possibile to easily obtain the forecasts for any location present in the database of Accuweather (over 2.7 million locations). This version is aided by the weather forecasts of "Accuweather.com", elaborating the data which is freely available on the internet enabling it to be shown correctly in the weather tab.

MeteoRay is "Donationware", therefore you are totally free to say a simple "thankyou" or to make a donation to the programmers (My daughter and myself) to add an incentive for further development, correction of bugs, release of new projects.

It is our intention, within the shortest possible time (considering that programming for us isn’t a profession but a passion) to expand the program with new features making it along the same lines as the Italian version shown here:

http://meteoray.mondoweb.net/topic779.html

Some screenshots:

Installation

It couldn’t be any easier: Just open up the zip file and copy the obtained folders wherever you want to. Preferably, but not absolutely necessary, copy them to the internal memory of the pda due to the slightly slower start up time of external memories such as SD, miniSD or Micro SD. Wherever the folders are placed the software will autodetect the paths needed and will act accordingly.

Requirements

Manila2D interface working normally (obviously) and the presence on the PPC of .Net Framework (freely downloadable from the Microsoft website however present in most of the cooked roms). Put in a number of locations inferior or the same as those set up before hand on your Manila2D interface, up to a total of no more than 5 on MeteoRay. The locations chosen in Manila2d can be any provided; It will be MeteoRays job to change them into the locations you have chosen for the software If for example you wish to choose 5 locations in MeteoRay you must first put 5 or more in Manila2D before updating.

Options description

A few options to simplify the use ,from top to bottom:

- ACCUWEATHER LOGO Opens Opera (if present) or Pocket Internet Explorer on the www.accuweather.com homepage

- ENGLISH/METRIC with this switch you are able to download the data directly in Fahrenheit or Celsius, this way you will avoid the bug present in Manila2D relating to the conversion from Fahrenheit to Celsius (not very accurate)

- BOX for CHOICE OF LOCATION put in a number of locations inferior or the same as those set up before hand on your Manila2D interface, up to a total of no more than 5 on MeteoRay. The real difference being that you are able to choose your own. The code that you must put in is that used at Accuweather.com; at the first start up of the software it will show 5 pre-programmed locations in the UK to use as an example.

- "EXPLORER ICONS" each of them opens the corresponding page of Weather Forecast AccuWeather (online)

- UPDATE use this for normal updates of the weather forecast. The forecasts downloaded will be for 3 days, and for 3 days the software will work offline putting the necessary weather icons in the correct place in the Manila2D. To reset the update interval, just do a normal Manila2D update before downloading the forecasts with MeteoRay. However, the Manila2D normally does this operation when the PPC is connected to the PC using Activesync

- >> use this to move over the screen of advanced options.. Also using the key << you can return the to first page. The advanced options aloe the selection and the download of the Satellite Animations from the whole world in .gif format. They will be saved in the directory "Meteo" and can be visualised using your preferred programme

- EXIT does this need explaining? :-)

- INFO Information about this software.

Normal use

Meteoray downloads the necessary data to enable it to work correctly through any working connection on your PPC. Needless to say that it is ideal to update using "free connections" such as WI-FI, Bluetooth or Activesync. The data shown is that relative to the next 5 hourly steps (for example, if it is 21.12, Meteoray will show the forecast for 22.00 in large numbers and in small numbers it will show the forecasts for 23:00, 00:00. 01:00, 02:00) The second temperature in the small icons at the bottom is the "Realfeel" (the temperature that is actually felt by the human body depending on the wind, humidity etc).

Removal

Very easy : just remove the folder containing the software. On reaching the first hourly step you will get an error (then there will be others; basically the PPC is trying to use the software that has been removed)

For those who really want to remove all: you could remove the whole key "MeteoRay" from "HKCU - Software" to eliminate any trace of use from the registry, the file "MeteoRay.png" from the directory "\Windows" and you have finished. The others can leave everything as it is, it takes up just a very few Kb of space and there are no further consequences.

What is and isn’t allowed

You are free to include the links to the MeteoRay Forum to enable the download of the installation file, but Not allowed to enable those files to be directly downloaded from your Website, Blog, ftp etc...

For a very simple reason: To make it easier for the user during the update. To have on the web various versions, obsolete, incomplete or bugged won’t help you, in fact it will do the complete opposite .You are also allowed to include the software as it is , (without making any changes to it), to your own personalised roms. Just one suggestion, do it in such a way to allow the files to be overwritten to simplify any eventual updates.

Final notes

Unfortunately our English isn’t the best; this page has been translated for us, but our future replies won’t always be as grammatically correct. We are counting on the "XDA-Dev Power Users" for the most obvious replies to be given to the less knowledgeable Users. Thankyou in advance for your cooperation.

Important

At the moment it is only possibile to use MeteoRay with locations in your own time zone; after receiving your feedback and views about this present version we will further rewrite the software routines to eliminate this annoying limitation. This will allow MeteoRay to be able to easily visualise also the time in different time zones, therefore working as a mini-time converter (useful for those who travel or even just for curiosity).

If you are satisfied with the work that has been carried out up to now, you could offer us a pizza or a beer... :D

Enjoy it, Davide & Federica Ippolito

>> Download link <<